Straight talk from top BJP leader : Important lessons to learn
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 18, 2025 -

The vice president of the State unit of the BJP has spoken his mind and while The Sangai Express prefers not to take a stand on his observation that it would be wrong to hold Speaker Th Satyabrata responsible for the current phase of political uncertainty in the State, he was bang on target in asserting that the saffron party is not on firm ground in Manipur.

The BJP vice president was also bang on target in referring to the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP candidate suffered a humiliating loss at the hands of the Congress candidate in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency.

Even in the Outer seat, the party in power at Imphal and Delhi was not in a position to field its own candidate preferring to extend support to the Naga People’s Front candidate.

That the NPF candidate also bit the dust in the Outer seat is there for all to see giving substance to the widely held belief that anything the BJP touches is bound to be rejected by the people.

The point is whether the BJP leadership in Manipur has learnt any lesson from the Lok Sabha debacle it suffered at the hands of the Congress.

Judging by the manner in which prominent leaders of the BJP went hammer and tongs against whatever the Congress MPs have had to say both inside and outside Parliament, not much seems to have been learnt.

The mindset of blaming the past Governments (read Congress Governments) seems to have percolated down to the manner in which the two Congress MPs have been picked for their statements on the floor of Parliament, while talking about Manipur.

Such outbursts certainly did not go down well with the people, especially those who have taken a keen interests in the current affairs of Manipur.

It was against this trend that the State BJP vice president spoke out his mind and it is this approach which many would find acceptable in the current situation.

Significant to note too that the State BJP vice president did not take refuge under ‘reliable sources’ but had the conviction to have his name printed and it is the ability to acknowledge one’s shortcomings and own up to it that can go a long way in redeeming the image of the party in the eyes and perceptions of the people.

How the admission of the State BJP vice president would have gone down with the leadership of the saffron party remains to be seen, but an important point has been delivered and it would do good for the party to look for ways to redeem itself in the eyes of the public.

Much will obviously depend on how the Governor conducts the official responsibility that has come to him as a representative of the Centre.

So far things seem to be moving on track, but much will depend on how successful he is in taking people on either side of the clash divide with his programmes and plans.

And it is on this line that Manipur should respond to the developing political developments.

Nobody wants President’s Rule but given the fact that the ethnic violence has been going on for over 21 months with no signs of abating, a change in governance comes with its share of expec- tations and this is what Manipur is looking forward to and this is where much will be expected from the man at Raj Bhavan.

Next in question is obviously who would be named the Advisors, that is if the Centre intends to appoint anyone as Advisor to the Governor.

The last time Manipur had President’s Rule was in 2001 and the Governor back then had Advisors.

Another query doing the round is obviously, how long PR would continue.

Given that the BJP is comfortably placed in the Assembly with 32 MLAs, one can expect the House to be revived anytime soon and while the focus of everyone seems to have shifted to the Government and the coming of PR, it should not be forgotten that the bigger issue of the ongoing clash still looms over.

What steps can one expect from the present dispensation to put Manipur on the track of normalcy ?

What are the first steps that one can expect Imphal to take up towards this end ?

A change is what is expected from the change in governance.